What to look for in a Springfield staining contractor

Five questions worth asking any contractor before you hire them.

1. What product do you use, and why? If the answer is the name of a box-store brand or a vague “the best one,” keep looking. Real contractors know exactly what is in the can and what it is engineered for.

2. Do you brush or spray, and why? Decks should be brushed. Fences can be sprayed and back-brushed. Anyone who sprays a deck without back-brushing is racing the clock, not doing the job right.

3. How do you handle prep? If prep gets a one-sentence answer, prep is not actually part of the job. Real prep takes most of the time on most projects.

4. What does your quote include? Number of coats, prep work, repairs, walkthrough, touch-ups. All of it in writing. If there is wiggle room in the quote, there is wiggle room in the invoice.

5. What do you guarantee? Honest answers vary by surface condition. A blanket lifetime warranty on stain is marketing. A tiered warranty based on what we can control is reality.